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Mission Matter$

Q1 2023 | Finance & Administration

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QUARTERLY THOUGHT



Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”

~Benjamin Franklin~


Just as a small leak can eventually bring down a ship, "minor" expenses

can also eventually sink your budget. Especially when those “trivial” expenses add up to significant amounts you didn't account for.

 

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SURVEY SUBMISSIONS

As required by convention, the Racial Healing, Justice, and Reconciliation Survey and the Care for Creation Survey are both due March 1.


The Annual Parish Update is due each spring, and should be submitted following each parish's annual meeting.

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THE COMMONS COMPANION


The Commons Companion contains a wealth of information on best practices, finance and human resources, clergy compensation, administration, and much more. It is updated periodically to keep information as up-to-date as possible.


Save an email! Save a phone call! Check The Commons Companion.

Q1 UPDATES


Parish Invoices

January’s invoice will contain the 2023 Executive Lines Only as we moved our Property & Casualty (P&C) carriers to Church Insurance. Invoices for the remainder of the year will be issued within the first week of every month via email.


The recipients will be the Rector or Priest-in-Charge (PIC) and Treasurer (in the absence of a Rector or PIC, the Sr. Warden will be included). To ensure that we have your current information, update your parish’s survey online. To reset your

password, contact the Operations Manager.


Important IRS Compliance Due by January 31

  • Form W-2: Employee‘s Wage and Tax Statement Form provided to all employees, including parochial clergy.
  • Form 941: Employer‘s Quarterly Payroll Tax Return File return with the Internal Revenue Service the for quarter ending December 31.
  • Form 1098: Mortgage Interest Copy of the form provided to the recipient (for any mortgages held by churches or dioceses).
  • Form 1099: INT & MISC. Copy of form provided to the recipient.
  • Substantiation of Contributions statements provided to donors of gifts over $250.


The Episcopal Church in Connecticut partnered with The Church Insurance Companies (CIC) as its property and casualty provider. 


Effective December 31, 2022, ECCT has partnered with The Church Insurance Companies (CIC) as its property and casualty provider.


CIC has experience serving the wider Episcopal Church for more than 90 years and looks forward to serving ECCT. CIC’s staff of experienced client representatives are available to assist you Monday - Friday between 8:30AM and 4:30PM EST (excluding holidays).


Parishes can contact ECCT’s dedicated client service representative, Tracey Parent, at (800) 293-3525 or via email ([email protected].)

For Billing questions please call (800) 819-2984.


Whenever there is knowledge of an actual claim or potential claim, don't delay! Contact The Church Insurance Company as soon as possible.

Claims may be reported 24/7 at (800) 223-5705. Claims can also be submitted at [email protected].


If you would like to review your coverage or schedule a safety walkthrough of your property, please contact our Regional Vice President, Lianne Limoli at Direct: 603.935.9265.


If you are looking for information about CIC and the new program, please visit them at www.churchinsuranceagency.org. There you will find a

Safety & Insurance Handbook for churches. This publication provides an overview of all of the coverage available to churches and ways to protect your people and property. 


Along with Church Insurance Companies serving as its Property and Casualty provider, ECCT will continue to provide Executive Lines coverages through its broker, Brown and Brown. Executive Lines programs include Directors and Officers, Employment Practices, Fiduciary, and Crime liability coverages.


We have also purchased additional sexual misconduct (SML) and cyber policies to ensure we are as fully protected from the various risks inherent to church management as possible.


To report claims not related to property or casualty, please contact Michael McGowan at Brown and Brown at (646) 358-8521 or on his cell at (646) 285-2462 or via email: [email protected].


If you have any questions regarding ECCT’s insurance program, please reach out to the Rev. Matt Handi at 203-639-3501, x107 or via email at [email protected]


Direct Deposits/ACH Payables Account

ECCT has shifted all payment processing to ACH/Direct Deposits to ensure secure, swift, and timely payments. Please ensure that you have provided us with your parish’s current banking information and a W9 form.


Direct Deposits Receivable’s Account

ECCT is recommending that parishes use direct deposits to ensure timely deposit to the Fund. Direct deposits are secure, swift, simple, and won’t be lost, delayed, and will ensure the timely payments of your parish’s commitments. Contact Rosanna Rosado, Canon for Mission Finance & Operations for more information.


Donations & Bequests for Church Purposes Inc.

Enhanced Reporting Portal Paper statements are no longer available.

D&B is pleased to inform you that we have enhanced the reporting portal for the monthly investor reports. The improved SEI Archway platform was launched, with the November 30, 2022, report available December 2022.


The existing portal will continue to be available to you for 2022 reports prior to October. This legacy portal will be shut down sometime in 2023. You will be notified prior to the shutdown.


An email will be sent notifying you that your D&B report is available or use the link below to access the new SEI Archway portal.

https://archwayportal.seic.com


If you have trouble accessing the portal, please contact [email protected].


D&B is dedicated to providing its participants exceptional investment management services and streamlining its portfolio management.


Recruiting Candidates to Serve on its Board of Trustees

D&B is governed by a Board of Trustees who are tasked with fiduciary oversight and with direction of the fund’s financial objectives. Being a trustee is an opportunity for collegiality and in-depth analysis on current investment issues. To maintain a successful investment future, the Board seeks to recruit strong, fiscally competent members from across the Six Regions of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.

 

D&B seeks  diversity in members who are varied by: lay and clergy, parish size, gender, and geographical location. 


Trustees are elected to serve a three-year term which would begin on January 1, for a total of up to two consecutive terms. The Board of Trustees have a minimum of four meetings each calendar year. An ideal candidate should have the ability to attend four quarterly meetings, participate in Leadership Gathering meetings, as well as be available occasionally for additional research.


An eligible Trustee

  • Must be at least 18 years of age and a communicant in good standing in a Parish or Worshipping Community of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut
  • Be willing to be an active member
  • Have a background in investment and endowment management
  • Have experience as a parish treasurer or have served on a parish or diocesan finance/investment committee


Should you have a recommendation that meets these qualifications, or may be interested in being considered for a Trustee please forward that prospective member’s name and resume to Theresa Dupont, Director of D&B at [email protected]

Coming Soon In Q2:


10th Annual Spring Training & Gathering

Finance, Operations Best Practices

Donations & Bequests Resources

Stewardship Realty, Inc. (Building Ministry & Church Futures)




Listening Sessions

2024 Annual Budget of the 239th Convention


More info & dates coming soon.

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Good Standing Criteria

ECCT recognizes and celebrates those parishes that are fulfilling the administrative, financial, and canonical expectations fundamental to our common life.


 

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Parochial Reports Due March 1

Join Rosanna Rosado, Canon for Mission Finance & Operations, and her team on February 2nd, 7th, or 15th

to review the requirements & best practices for submitting accurate & complete parochial reports.


Register Here

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Annual Audits Due September 1

Annual Audits or Financial Reviews are due September 1 of each year. Additional resources, forms, policies, and sample letters to engage an accountant are available on the ECCT website.

See Resources
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Save the Dates

2023 D&B, Inc.

Board of Trustees Meeting  

January 24

April 18

July 18

October 17


Participants are invited to hear the Bank of America Portfolio Investment Review

from 3:00-3:45 pm

Email [email protected] for the Zoom link.


More on D&B
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Updated Mileage Rates

Beginning January 1, the updated mileage reimbursement rate for the use of a car, van, pickup, or panel truck driven for business use is 65.5 cents per mile.

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Building Winterization Best Practices

An unpleasant fact of life is that a lot of the energy in your structure or commercial structure spent on heating is wasted due to failing insulation and lack thereof. If you address a lot of the issues you will have a chance to make that a thing of the past...

Read More

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